Final nail or not, the demand for seals in Norway appears to be declining. Bjørne Kvernmo, a seal boat skipper, told a Norwegian newspaper in 2010 that "Maybe the Norwegian seal hunt is already history." In the ‘70s, he noted, several dozen boats would pursue the marine mammals. Compare that to the hunting season of 2014 when Norway's seal hunting fleet totalled three boats, claiming just under 12,000 seals, Norway's The Local reports.

"For the first time, the WTO has sent a clear message to governments around the world that moral values on the protection of animals are taken seriously in international trade law," said World Animal Protection's Emily Rees, in a statement following the decision.